Look! It’s a Stingray!!!! Ooops sorry, it’s just the boat anchor! :(

I overheard this as we were heading out to our first snorkel at Tres Cocos. Same shape, different material. As I write this, all is quiet here at Belize TREC. The internet being what it is, leads to late nights and furious posting! But, here you go.

Today was a day of snorkeling. THe wind was pretty stiff so we headed to the calmer waters of Tres Cocos (Three Palms – no longer there because of hurricanes but the name stuck!) TREC leader Dr. Kenneth Mattes and his wife Maureen talked through the ins and outs of snorkeling, the reef and what to do and what not to do. What followed was an amazing trip through a living fish bowl with us as the largest species in the water. We saw many amazing fish, corals and invertebrates (there is a picture in the gallery below, just for Dave Ashley!) Speaking of galleries, remember to scroll all the way down the page to find the photos I post every day.

After a quick lunch of Tuna fish sandwiches and PB&J for the less adventurous, we headed to another site for another session of beautiful coral reefs, gorgeous fishes and an unrelenting wind and tide that made it a amazing sight but also a heck of a workout!

After a dinner of spaghetti and meatballs, etc (and of course chocolate cake!) we joined Ken for his famous “Fish Lecture,” where he regaled the students in his knowledge of the more prevalent species on the reef. He also explained tomorrow’s snorkel and what to expect. For now, enjoy the pictures and tune in tomorrow for another peek into our Bio in Belize adventure.